Originally started as a solo project for front man Ted Dempsey, Yachay slowly blossomed into a 6 piece after inviting his 3 brothers Whill (guitar/keys), Lars (vocals/percussion) and Henry (lead guitar) as well as the addition of the powerful rhythm section from Julian McKenzie on bass and Miranda Holt on drums. Yachay play a mixture of psychedelia, punk rock and country with a strong tendency for melody, harmony and catchy chorus'. Live review from Beat Magazine: “When it comes to small bands trying to stand out amongst the multitude of similarly passionate small bands on the ever-full Melbourne gig circuit, often there can be an overlap in which sounding new and unique becomes the definition of being one and the same. Melbourne family band Yachay are a hidden gem who are innovative in the way which they can simultaneously pull back a classic 70’s rock style yet somehow mould it to sound modern and different. Their sound is instantly palatable with its subtle attention grabbing lyrics and seemingly effortless vocal harmonising. One quality of new music which keeps listeners interested is the knack of creating a choral hook without buying into a cliché and Yachay are clear masters of this- they managed to achieve this delicate balance in each song of their five song set. Starting with their new song ‘Faded Colours’, they instantly brought their audience in with strong instrumentals and the impressive on stage charisma of Yachay’s frontmen despite the tough atmosphere of a small crowd. The integration of a tambourine on a singer with blonde curls was enough to give any classic rock fan serious Robert Plant vibes and while the music was not quite of the same kind, if Led Zeppelin had come about in the 90’s and added half the line-up of Soundgarden, Yachay would be the resulting band. The next song ‘Stuck With You’, was a song I was unaware that I was waiting for from the first time I saw them play at the start of the year. The song has a carefree groove that is impossible to remove from your subconscious once it is first heard. It truly showcases the band’s song writing ability in its simplicity. Given with a more uniquely Melbourne indie-rock approach, it could almost have been pulled from an early Powderfinger album. One of the highlights of the night, ‘Better Off Dead’, really stood out with its strong understated drumbeat that drove the song and it’s incredibly passionate and raw vocals. The bridge instantly reminded me of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘May This Be Love’ with the drumming holding a simple yet effective rhythm and striking guitar melodies adding a sense of lightness and clarity to the pounding beat. The overlying guitar also created an incredibly subtle but appealing path that lead to and built up the energy for the chorus, which was the moment the audience had been waiting for from the band. It’s not surprisingly that Yachay meld together so well as a (mostly) family band; AC/DC, the Bee Gees and INXS all worked the family ties to their advantage before them. A family as musically oriented as Yachay’s members begin with the advantage of a strong in-band connection that explains their impressive musicality. Not only are Yachay an incredibly talented unit which work together like a well oiled machine, each member is a talented instrumentalist who knows how to fabricate a song in which each instrument plays off and improves the other without any need for the exaggeration of any one. It is clear that Yachay are a band for the sheer enjoyment and love of the music they create and their incredible live performances showcase this. They have an inevitable knack for captivating their audience with strong hooks and enigmatic stage presence that comes from years of playing music and a love of music which obviously overrides any alternate motivations. A quality that every song shared was the polished and memorable feel which underlay all of them. Despite being a young band, their songs did not sound amateurish in the slightest; in fact the question in my mind was why this band is yet to put out an album or at least an EP.”